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Playgrounds: Urban Theatrical Culture in Shakespeare’s England and Golden Age Spain PDF

223 Pages·2022·9.376 MB·English
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PLAYGROUNDS This book compares the theatrical cultures of early modern England and Spain and explores the causes and consequences not just of the remarkable similarities but also of the visible differences between them. An exercise in multi-focal theatre history research, it deploys a wide range of perspectives and evidence with which to recreate the theatrical landscapes of these two countries and thus better understand how the specific conditions of performance actively contributed to the development of each country’s dramatic literature. This monograph presents an innovative comparative framework within which to explore the numerous similarities, as well as the notable differences, between early modern Europe’s two most prominent commercial theatre cultures. By highlighting the nuances and intricacies that make each theatrical culture unique while never losing sight of the fact that the two belong to the same broader cultural ecosystem, its dual focus should appeal to scholars and students of English and Spanish literature alike, as well as those interested in the broader history of European theatre. Learning from what one ‘playground’ – that is, the environment and circumstances out of which a dramatic tradition originates – reveals about the other will help solve not only the questions posed above but also others that still await examination. This investigation will be of great interest to students and scholars in theatre history, comparative drama, early modern drama, and performance culture. David J. Amelang is an assistant professor in English Literature at the Department of English Studies of the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. He currently serves on the board of directors of the Madrid Institute for Advanced Study (MIAS) and of the Spanish and Portuguese Society for English Renaissance Studies (SEDERI). Studies in Performance and Early Modern Drama Series Editor: Helen Ostovich McMaster University, Canada This series presents original research on theatre histories and performance his- tories; the time period covered is from about 1500 to the early 18th century. Studies in which women’s activities are a central feature of discussion are espe- cially of interest; this may include women as financial or technical support (pa- trons, musicians, dancers, seamstresses, wig-makers) or house support staff (e.g., gatherers), rather than performance per se. We also welcome critiques of early modern drama that take into account the production values of the plays and rely on period records of performance. Shakespeare’s Hobby-Horse and Early Modern Popular Culture Natália Pikli From Playtext to Performance on the Early Modern Stage How Did They Do It? Leslie Thomson Imitation and Contamination of the Classics in the Comedies of Ben Jonson Guides Not Commanders Tom Harrison Playgrounds Urban Theatrical Culture in Shakespeare’s England and Golden Age Spain David J. Amelang For more information about this series, please visit: https://www.routledge.com/ Studies-in-Performance-and-Early-Modern-Drama/book-series/SPEMD PLAYGROUNDS Urban Theatrical Culture in Shakespeare’s England and Golden Age Spain David J. Amelang Cover image: Detail of Wenceslaus Hollar, A View from St. Mary’s, Southwark, Looking Towards Westminster (ca. 1638). The Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection First published 2023 by Routledge 4 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN and by Routledge 605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2023 David J. Amelang The right of David J. Amelang to be identified as author of this work has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Amelang, David J, author. Title: Playgrounds : Urban theatrical culture in Shakespeare’s England and Golden Age Spain / by David J. Amelang. Description: New York : Routledge, 2023. | Series: Routledge advances in theatre and performance studies | Includes bibliographical references and index. Identifiers: LCCN 2022034404 (print) | LCCN 2022034405 (ebook) | ISBN 9781032399447 (hardback) | ISBN 9781032399461 (paperback) | ISBN 9781003352112 (ebook) Subjects: LCSH: English drama--Early modern and Elizabethan, 1500-1600-- History and criticism. | English drama--17th century--History and criticism. | Spanish drama--Classical period, 1500-1700--History and criticism. | Theater--England--History--16th century. | Theater--England--History-- 17th century. | Theater--Spain--History--16th century. | Theater--Spain-- History--17th century. | English drama--Spanish influences. | Spanish drama-- English influences. Classification: LCC PR651 .A625 2023 (print) | LCC PR651 (ebook) | DDC 822.309--dc23/eng/20221017 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022034404 LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022034405 ISBN: 978-1-032-39944-7 (hbk) ISBN: 978-1-032-39946-1 (pbk) ISBN: 978-1-003-35211-2 (ebk) DOI: 10.4324/9781003352112 Typeset in Bembo by MPS Limited, Dehradun To my parents, Jim and Elena CONTENTS List of Illustrations ix Acknowledgements xi Introduction 1 1 Cities 8 England and Spain’s Theatrical Capitals 9 Early Urban Theatre Districts 16 The Place of Theatres in English and Spanish Society 25 Playhouse Locations after Consolidation 29 2 Playhouses 43 Why did English and Spanish Theatres Look so much Alike? A Few Genealogical Conjectures 44 The Organic Corral vs the Immutable Theatre 50 Seeing and Hearing (and Being Seen) in England and Spain’s Playhouses 55 Beyond the Bare Stage: Machines, Candles, Multi-Platforms 60 INTERLUDE 1 Why Did Madrid Not Have a Blackfriars? 73 viii Contents 3 Players 78 Professional Playmakers in Early Modern Society 79 Company Models, Structure and Organisation 83 Touring Practices 88 Who Played the Female Roles? Women and Children on the Commercial Stage 92 4 Dramatists 102 The Making of a Professional Playwright 103 Verse, Prose and Polymetry 106 Dramatic Genre(s) 110 Quantities of Writing and Notions of Artistry 115 INTERLUDE 2 Professional Actresses: To Have and Have Not (and How It Made a Difference) 127 5 Playbooks 143 Playbook vs Play: Printing Theatre in England and Spain 144 Publication Strategies, Licensing and Censorship 149 The Playbook in the Literary Marketplace 152 Other Documents of Performance 157 Conclusion 167 Works Cited 175 Index 206 ILLUSTRATIONS Figures 1.1 Map of the British Isles highlighting the urban centres with documented venues built or adapted to serve solely or primarily as performance spaces 13 1.2 Map of the Iberian Peninsula highlighting the urban centres with documented corrales de comedias 15 1.3 Map of sixteenth-century London and its commercial playhouses (circles) as well as the inns frequently used for performances (squares) 17 1.4 List of known corrales de comedias built in Spain during the sixteenth century 21 1.5 Map of sixteenth-century Seville and its corrales de comedias 22 1.6 Map of sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Madrid and its corrales de comedias 24 1.7 Map of seventeenth-century London and its commercial playhouses 30 1.8 Map of seventeenth-century Seville and its corrales de comedias 33 2.1 The stage of the reconstructed Almagro Copyright: Corral de Comedias de Copyright: Concejalía de Cultura y Turismo. Ayuntamiento de Almagro 45 2.2 Antonio Lafréry’s engraving of the Roman colosseum, with the caption “Theatrvm Sive Colisevm Romanvm” in his Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae. Copyright: The Trustees of the British Museum 49

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